Definition

Noun: - A respiratory illness primarily affecting infants and young children, characterized by episodes of harsh coughing, hoarseness, fever, and labored or difficult breathing.

Usage

• Spasmodic laryngitis is a clinical diagnosis for a specific set of symptoms in young children.
• The term is used to describe the condition's nature, involving sudden spasms or attacks that affect the larynx (voice box).

Examples

• The pediatrician diagnosed the toddler's severe cough and stridor as spasmodic laryngitis.
• Spasmodic laryngitis can be frightening for parents due to the child's sudden difficulty breathing during a coughing spell.

Advanced Usage

• The condition is often considered a severe form of croup. In medical contexts, it may be discussed in relation to its differential diagnosis from other causes of airway obstruction in children, such as epiglottitis or foreign body aspiration.

Variants and Related Words

• Croup (n): A common term for laryngotracheobronchitis, which shares similar symptoms like a barking cough and stridor. Spasmodic laryngitis is often classified as a type of croup.
• Laryngismus (n): A spasm of the laryngeal muscles, which is a key feature of this condition.

Synonyms

• Spasmodic croup: A direct synonym often used interchangeably.
• Midnight croup: An informal term referencing the tendency for symptoms to worsen at night.

Notes on Meaning

This term refers specifically to a pediatric condition. While "laryngitis" in adults typically involves hoarseness and voice loss from inflammation, spasmodic laryngitis in children is distinguished by the sudden, spasmodic nature of the attacks involving coughing and respiratory distress.

Noun

1. a disease of infants and young children; harsh coughing and hoarseness and fever and difficult breathing